Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 2, 1993 TAG: 9302020205
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
PANEL OKS BILL BANNING BARGAINING
A Senate committee on Monday endorsed a bill writing into law Virginia's prohibition against collective bargaining by state employees.The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted 13-2 to send the bill to the full Senate.
A court ruling is the basis now for barring collective bargaining by state workers. State law does not specifically prohibit bargaining between government workers and governing bodies, said Sen. Robert Russell, R-Chesterfield, the bill's sponsor.
Opponents said the bill could harm relationships between employee groups and governing bodies, which now are allowed to discuss working conditions without establishing contracts.
Also Monday:
The Commerce and Labor Committee also endorsed a bill requiring parachute-training schools to give written notice to skydiving students that there is no available liability insurance for them.
A school that failed to provide the notice would be guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.
The bill originally would have required schools to carry insurance for students. But Sen. Elliot Schewel, D-Lynchburg, the bill's sponsor, said no insurance is available.
About 600 nurses and nursing students marched to the Capitol in support of various health care bills.
"Health care is clearly one of the most pressing issues that faces the commonwealth," Attorney General Stephen Rosenthal told the nurses.
Rosenthal said nearly 1 million Virginians - almost 15 percent - are without health insurance.
"The cost of health care is . . . beyond the reach of Virginians and consumes more of the state's resources," Rosenthal said.
Lorna Facteau, president of the Virginia Nurses Association, said after the rally that the group supports bills that would:
Provide scholarships to nurse practitioners, increase the salaries of public health nurses to a level more equal with private sector nurses and increase the number of nurses in public schools.
The committee is to consider the changes today.
Del. Robert McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach, told a news conference that a parental notification abortion bill has serious defects because it allows people other than parents to be notified.
The bill by Del. Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, would require a parent, adult family member, minister or counselor to be notified when an unmarried girl under age 16 seeks an abortion. The girl would determine who would be notified, and no notice could be given over the girl's objection.
McDonnell said he does not like provisions allowing the girl the final say on notification and the fact that it applies to girls under age 16 as opposed to 18.
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1993
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.